130 
A VOYAGE TO 
1802. 
November. 
Wednes. 10. 
Thurs. 11, 
Friday 12. 
[Norik Coast. 
Keer-Weer, round which the coast falls back somewhat ; the water 
then became more shallow, and did not admit of being safely- 
approached nearer than four miles. An opening is laid down here 
in the Dutch chart, called Vereenigde River, which certainly has no 
existence. All this afternoon the sea breeze was fresh and favour- 
able ; and by eight o’clock, when we anchored in. 5 fathoms, the 
distance run from noon exceeded forty miles. A fire was seen on the 
land about four miles off, and some smokes had been passed in the day ; 
so that the country should seem to be at least as well peopled in this 
part of Carpentaria as further northward. The coast was, if possi- 
ble, still lower than before; not a single hill had yet been seen; and 
the tops of the trees on the highest land, had scarcely exceeded the 
height of the ship’s mast head. 
The land wind came from N. N. E.; and in the morning our 
course was pursued along the shore at the usual distance. At eight 
o’clock the depth decreased to 2j fathoms, and obliged us to steer off, 
though five miles from the land ; and when fair soundings were 
obtained, the tops of the trees only were visible from the deck. At 
noon we had closed in again, the shore being distant five or six miles, 
and the depth 6 fathoms on a gravelly bottom; our latitude was 
1 4 * S 1 ' d"> longitude 141° 33', the extremes seen from the deck 
bore N. 2 g° to S. 66 ° E., and a smoke was seen rising at S. 28° E. 
The sea breeze came in from the south-westward ; but the trending 
of the coast being nearly S. S. E., we lay along it until past four 
o’clock, and then tacked off, in 3 fathoms ; the nearest part of the 
land being distant two or three miles, and the extremes bearing 
N. 3 and S. W. At eight in the evening the breeze died away, 
and a stream anchor was dropped in 5 fathoms, mud and shells, five 
or six miles oh shore ; where the latitude from an observation of the 
moon was 15 0 5' south. 
At sunrise, next morning, the ship was steering southward 
with a land wind at east ; and at seven o’clock we passed an opening- 
near which several natives were collected. The entrance seemed to 
